Does your dealership need a Point of Sale refresh?

Point of Sale (POS) and visual merchandising are key elements in any in-dealership marketing plan. Driving new and used car sales by promoting new products, offers and special events are just a few great reasons to ensure you have an effective point of sale display. Strategically-placed marketing materials not only motivate consumers to take action, but they also educate consumers on your dealership and product and service USPs that ultimately set you apart from your competitors.

POS is particularly important for a car dealership to get right. In the age of digital, many products are now bought online, however these large-ticket purchases still take place conventionally, in the showroom. So how can you ramp up the current POS display in your dealership to maximise the chance of generating sales?

First, consider all of the places you position your messaging and POS throughout your dealership(s) and how each of these could be improved:

In-showroom POS

Dealership forecourt POS

On-vehicle POS: (price information and USPs – e.g. mileage, full service history, number of owners)

Service & parts POS.

Maximise POS marketing space

From doors, to floors to walls, consider how you can utilise these areas for POS marketing and eye-catching displays.

Leave no potential marketing space unconsidered: from vehicle specification sheet holders, to price display units, boards, totums, flags, windscreen flashes and even floors and walls. Often the walls within showrooms are vast and are a great blank canvas for HD displays that will set your showroom apart.

When buying such a high-value item, creating the perfect atmosphere at the point of purchase is paramount. Implement a counter display with stunning visuals of vehicles and get your customer excited to finally have purchased the product of their dreams. Surround the area with display stands, posters, signs, and banners, all emphasising the culture behind your brand to accentuate the lifestyle that your product provides and make the customer feel a sense of belonging. Take-home, post-purchase (or aftersales) booklets also work to make that feeling last longer for the customer once they have left the showroom.

In order to maximise the impact of your POS materials, you need to get as many people to see them as possible. Sales events are the perfect way to get a large volume of potential customers in one place and really show off your products and make the most of your in-dealership POS.

Go all-out with a great range of visuals, from pull-up banners, to flags and vehicle graphics. The more eye-catching, the better as it will enable attendees get a feel for your brand and if done right, make them want to be part of it. Check out the great personal touch we helped a PRESTIGE motor dealer achieve at their event in this case study or read more about our multi-channel event campaigns here.

Place offers in your brochures, flyers and leaflets

Displaying via POS or direct-mailing offers are great ways to incentivise or re-incentivise a customer. This could be including a coupon for two free mini-valets when they purchase a new vehicle, a 10% discount on their next vehicle or a money-off voucher for vehicle accessories. Make it evident that the promotional material contains an offer and the consumer will be more likely to read further into it, this way they get a great incentive and the knowledge they need to make an informed purchase too.

The use of visual materials can make a big difference to how the consumer converts, encouraging a way of life and portraying the values of your brand can provide great sales results. At a PRESTIGE motor dealer, we helped to almost double the original target of vehicle sales through the use of creative marketing displays, achieving a grand total of 71 sales over the weekend event. Nothing grabs attention like a vivid, relevant display right where customers are waiting to check out.

At Alphagraphics, we specialise in creating eye-catching Point of Sale displays, offering bespoke display packs and further marketing services. This month alone we’ve helped over 100 different dealerships using elements of our product offering, including creating 3,000 POS stickers, and 170,000 fully-personalised direct mail pieces.